


Sweet Buns

by AyyanaJay



Category: Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: Dialogue, F/M, Fluff, Food
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-03
Updated: 2020-08-03
Packaged: 2021-03-06 04:35:35
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,285
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25677448
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AyyanaJay/pseuds/AyyanaJay
Summary: "There was something addictive about the sweet buns today."A simple fluff piece in which Ingrid appreciates the unique twist on the dining hall's sweet bun recipe, and goes to seek out the chef who made them.Posed as a C+ or B level Ashe/Ingrid support conversation about food.
Comments: 2
Kudos: 8





	Sweet Buns

There was something addictive about the pastries today.

The cafeteria was serving a trio of Faerghus sweet buns, simple pastries made with flour, eggs, and a touch of sugar, and filled with whatever the cook desired. Traditionally the filling was made with a mixture of seasonal berries or fruit that could be sourced from more bountiful regions. Ingrid had grown up with the buns being a comforting treat, but given her family’s barren territory and meager funds, the ones they baked were usually plain. During the rare plentiful harvest year, her parents would bake a few pastries filled with a thin dollop of tart albinean jam. It never escaped her notice, however, even as a child, that she was the only one who received one of these special jam filled buns.

While the sweet buns were a simple comfort dish, with a greenhouse right inside the Monastery’s walls, the choice of filling became an endless buffet of options. Juicy sweet peach currants macerated and soaked in cream? Decadently tart albinean berry compote? Subtle yet luscious noa fruit puree?

While she always enjoyed whatever the chef in charge filled them with, today was unique. The dough was soft and chewy with a lightly crisp exterior. They were usually sweet but this time the buns had a delightful pop of salty brightness that made her go back for bite after bite. When she reached the middle, the sticky fruit filling oozed out and made a mess of her lips. It tasted like a jammy reduction of peach currants and albinean berries, but there was a hint of spice to it that intrigued her palette and warmed her tongue. 

What was that? 

The full-bodied flavor of the spices paired wonderfully with the natural sweetness of the fruit, and there was a familiar note she recognized but couldn’t place. The spice brought to mind an exotic decadence that had always been well beyond her family’s grasp, and yet... there was something comforting and cozy about it. The kind of spice that would warm you up on a cold winter night.

She couldn’t help the hum of delight she made once she had finished it. The soft, salty sweetness that gave way to a burst of rich, spiced fruit… She simply had to have another one. 

“There goes Ingrid, ready for round two,” Sylvain jabbed, and two girls sitting next to him giggled.

Ingrid shot him a glare but didn’t have the motivation to stop and give him a proper scolding. His teasing wink aggravated her even further, but she settled for a huff and a pointed eye roll as she passed by. The lunch bell would ring soon, signalling the end of their moment of respite, and she was determined to scarf down at least one or two more of those delicious salty sweet buns.

She made her way to the front of the dining hall where the kitchen was, and saw Dedue and Ashe serving food to a handful of lingering students. They made an odd pair, Dedue towering over everyone with a taciturn blank stare, and Ashe darting around in a happy fluster to make sure everyone was satisfied. While Ingrid couldn’t suppress the deep-seated reservations she had toward Dedue, she had to admit that he was a cook without peer, and a patient teacher.

To her delight, there was a pile of sweet buns left. She hastily grabbed two of them.

“Did you make these, Dedue?” she asked, brushing the crumbs off her fingertips. “They’re very unique. I didn’t expect the spices in the filling. Is that cinnamon? Cardamom?”

Dedue shook his head, as stoic as ever. “It’s a Dagdan spice blend, but I did not make them.”

“Oh?” that surprised her. She thought for sure Dedue or Petra would be the only ones to use such creative flavors. Her eyes drifted to Ashe, who was busy collecting empty plates off the table and depositing them into the wash bin.   
When he finally paused and noticed her, Ingrid gave him a smile. “Did you make the sweet buns today?”

“Uhm, yes,” he said with a shy smile, ducking his head. “I kind of came up with the recipe. Dedue tested them for me, and I thought it might be nice to have something different…”

“They’re wonderful,” she insisted. “I never would have thought to put those spices in something sweet. They feel so familiar, I’m sure I’ve had them before, but perhaps in a savory dish.”

“Ah, they’re actually used in the recipe for turnip stew,” Ashe said, perking up. “When you roast turnips and beets it brings out their sweetness, so I thought, why not try it in a sweet bun? Adding a little salt to the dough helped balance it out and--”

“Yes!” Ingrid couldn’t contain her excitement. “That’s it! The touch of salt was perfect, it brightened it up and really made the flavors pop.” She sighed in contentment. “I could eat these until the greenhouse ran out of berries.”

A faint blush bloomed under Ashe’s freckles and he laughed. “I know you like the recipe we use for turnip stew, so I’m glad my cooking experiment worked out.”

“Hm? You remembered I like the spices in the stew?” That was unexpected, and she wasn’t sure whether to be embarrassed or not. She knew her…hearty eating habits were a source of teasing from her classmates.

“Well, yes,” he said again, nervously looking away. “I remember what all our classmates like, and I try to make the dishes accordingly.”

“Ahh.” That made more sense. It wasn’t that she was special, that’s just how Ashe was. He always did try to please everyone else, to make them comfortable and at ease. And given his talent for cooking, he was frequently chosen for cafeteria duty. “That’s really sweet of you, Ashe.”

“It’s the least I can do,” he smiled.

“Isn’t it a bit risky, though? Making such a specific dish when a lot of the other students might not appreciate the flavors?”

“I suppose it can be,” he shrugged. “But to see the smile and contentment on someone’s face, to see the joy and satisfaction something so simple can bring, is worth it.” He held her eyes as he said it, and looked so sincere and pleased that she couldn’t help but feel heat creep onto her cheeks.

Returning his smile, she said, “Well, you certainly made my day. I’ll have to request that you make more of these sometime!”

“Gladly!” Suddenly, he seemed to remember something. “Oh, there’s a book I found at the marketplace I think you’ll like, would you like to meet after our classes to take a look at it? I’ve only read the first chapter so far, but the heroes are a Pegasus Knight and Paladin duo who fight to restore the virtue of their wrongfully banished King!”

“Ooh, that does sound intriguing. I usually train in the evenings, but how about I come up to the library after my sparring session later?” 

“Great, and I’m sure there will be some leftover sweet buns, I’ll bring those along as well.” As if on queue, the bell rang out, ending the lunch hour.

Students got up off the benches with a grumble and headed back to their classrooms. Ingrid resolved to train extra hard tonight so she could finish in time to wash up and have plenty of time left to enjoy their little book club meeting.

She headed back to the classroom as well, leaving Ashe and Dedue to finish their cleaning duties. Popping the last sweet bun into her mouth, she hummed in contentment once more. It _was_ amazing, she supposed, how much joy something so simple could bring.

**Author's Note:**

> I really love Ingrid! Several of her supports revolve around food, so I wanted to write my take on what an Ashe/Ingrid early to mid level support about food could be. With Ashe having an established talent and love of cooking I thought it was a natural fit. :)


End file.
